Surnames: Firnstahl, Beschta, Budde, Mertens, Manuel, Weix, Umhoefer, Oechsner, Schmidtbauer, Schraufnagel, Rogan, Hedler, Braun, Niggemann

----Source: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 01/01/1948

Firnstahl, Paul Peter (15 Jan. 1858 - 25 Dec. 1947)

Paul Peter Firnstahl, a pioneer resident of this community, died at his home in Colby, Wisconsin at 9:55 a.m. on Christmas Day at the age of 89 years, complications of old age being the cause of his death. He had been ill five days. The body had been lying in state at the Lulloff Funeral Home where a rosary was said Sunday evening. Funeral services were held Monday morning at St. Mary’s Catholic church, Rev. N. B. Beschta officiating at a solemn high mass and was assisted by Rev. George Budde of Wauwatosa and Rev. Mike Mertens of Washington, D.C., university. Grandsons acted as mass servers and were Jim Manuel, Paul, Jr., and Gerry Firnstahl. Pall bearers were Emil Weix, Marcel Weix, Dr. F. A. Weix, Herbert Firnstahl, Alphonse Firnstahl and Paul Umhoefer.

Mr. Firnstahl was born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 15, 1858, and came to the United States in 1875 with his parents and three brothers, settling in Kentucky. A year later they moved to Stevens Point, and, in 1878, purchased a tract of wild land in the town of Hull, which, by hard and diligent work, they built into a fine farm. Mr. Firnstahl was married to Barbara Weix of Mayville, Wis., in 1881. They moved from the farm to the city of Colby in 1921 where Mrs. Firnstahl died in 1935.

Mr. Firnstahl was very active in civic, social and religious affairs of Colby and vicinity. He was one of the charter members of the Hull Town Mutual Insurance Company and served as treasurer of that company for many years. He was one of the organizers of the Security State Bank and was one of the directors for many years. He served as treasurer and assessor of the township of Hull for a number of terms and represented the second ward of the city of Colby on the Clark county board at Neillsville for several terms. He was a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, Holy Name Society and of St. Mary’s church choir for over 50 years. He was a prominent member of St. Mary’s church and served as trustee for many years during the early history of the parish.

He is survived by five children - Gorman of Seattle, Wash., Otto of Minneapolis, Isadore and Miss Adeline of Colby and Miss Leona of Wausau; by one brother, Mike, of Evanston, Ill., and by 15 grand children and 11 great grand children. Three children, Peter, Lawrence and John, preceded their father in death.

Mr. Firnstahl was widely known in Colby and vicinity for his honest dealings and congenial and friendly disposition which made many friends for him who will remember him a long time.

Out of town people here for the funeral were Mrs. Emil Umhoefer and Mrs. Joe Weix of Marshfield, Mr. and Mrs. John Budde and Robert Budde of Beaver Dam, Rev. John Budde of Wauwatosa, George Oechsner, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Oechsner, Jr., Andrew Oechsner, Sr., Mrs. Al Schmidtbauer of Mayville, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Schraufnagel and Michael Schraufnagel of Glidden, W. J. Rogan of Wausau, Rev. Michael Mertens, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hedler, Sylvester and Geraldine Hedler of Thorp, Frank Schraufnagel, and Alphonse Firnstahl of Abbotsford, Rose Firnstahl and Laurence Firnstahl of Loyal, Ewald Firnstahl of St. Paul, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Firnstahl and Mr. and Mrs. Don Firnstahl of Minneapolis, Mr. and Mrs. Emil Weix of Medford, Mr. and Mrs. Marcel Weix of Dorchester, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Weix, Jr., of Antigo, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Braun of Athens, Helen Firnstahl and Mrs. Francis Firnstahl of Wisconsin Rapids, Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Weix of Abbotsford, Conrad Niggemann of Rib Lake.